Who Pays for Open Access? | Library Journal

"Payment of APCs comes from a variety of sources. According to the Publishers Communication Group’s September 2014 Open Access Library Survey, the authors themselves provide the highest percentage of funding, although a significant portion was covered by outside funding. (Respondents could indicate more than one funding source.)....

Claus Roll, Publishing Editor at EDP Sciences, also believes that available funding for Open Access is increasing, albeit slowly. This is a reflection of changing public policy. “Public and private funders like the NIH or the Wellcome Trust have a say in how their money is used,” he said. “They make Open Access publishing a requirement because they want to give the public insight into their funded research that may have a societal impact.” Roll noted that while the OA model places a cost requirement on the author and his or her employer (typically absorbed by STEM grant providers), it also provides a tangible financial benefit. Researchers building on the work of others—a fact of life in the scientific community—are less encumbered by costs when accessing others’ OA articles. The “pay it forward” notion is particularly attractive...."